Micah Hudson and Jude MacMillian were both lonely teenagers. One the new kid and one the target of relentless bullying, they quickly became friends. But when friendship grew into more, the relationship was too much for either to handle. As their tenuous bond was tested, everything tumbled down, leaving them lonely once again.

A decade later, Micah is on the brink of losing his will to live. Beyond exhausted from lying to everyone, including himself, Micah thinks of the one person who knows his deepest secret. Desperate and alone, Micah makes the only decision he feels he has: he must leave. But his need for closure depends on one thing.

There’s just something about a second chance romance that is appealing on so many levels, and when it comes with such intense emotion and angst such as what I found in Unsteady, it plays havoc with my heart. Oh, and on top of that this is also a friends-to-more story, one of my favorite tropes. Micah and Jude’s story has a lot of ups and downs, and there’s plenty of drama and tension—but there is also a lot of love and plenty of heat. Each of them has their own set of baggage, and navigating that plus their feelings for each other made for a fantastic read.

Both Micah and Jude captured my heart for different reasons, but what it boils down to is how totally invested in both of them I became and how desperately I wanted to see them get their happily ever after. There are secrets—those they kept from each other, those being kept from family and friends—that once uncovered create havoc, but also strengthen bonds and show just how much not just Micah and Jude care for each other, but how much friends and family do as well. The two of them have been through so much in their lives, and thinking of any ending other than them together and happy would have broken my heart.

I was wrapped up in this story from cover to cover, it’s one of those that draws you in to the point where you don’t want to put it down. The only thing I didn’t particularly care for was the bouncing back and forth from past to present. Normally I don’t mind flashbacks, but in this story that device felt a bit overused to me and is the only reason I didn’t give this the full five stars. Other than that, I enjoyed everything else about this book.

Though this is the third book in the author’s On Solid Ground series, it can definitely be read as a standalone. It’s an angst-lover’s dream, but it is so worth it for every moment Micah and Jude are together. 4.5 stars for Unsteady, and I highly recommend this story to any M/M romance fan but especially if you’re a fan of second chance and friends to lovers stories. This book is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and M/M sexual content.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melissa Collins has always been a book worm. Studying Literature in college ensured that her nose was always stuck in a book. She followed her passion for reading to the most logical career choice: English teacher. Her hope was to share her passion for reading and the escapism of books to her students. Having spent more than a decade in front of a classroom, she can easily say that it’s been a dream.

Her passion for writing didn’t start until more recently. When she was home on maternity leave in early 2012, she read her first romance novel and her head filled with the passion, angst and laughter of the characters who she read about it. It wasn’t long before characters of her own took shape in her mind. Their lives took over Melissa’s brain and The Love Series was born.

Gabriella Alvarez is the youngest of the Alvarez family. She’s watched her best friend marry her brother and another brother find love. Deep down, she’s looking for love, but she can’t quite shake the college sweetheart that broke her heart.

Dr. Ashton Holder works for the famous Alvarez practice. He and Gabriella have always clashed—she continues to see him only has the rough-edged doctor with no bedside manner, but he’s really made strides to put this image behind him.

When Gabriella discovers a secret from Ashton’s past, though, she does her best to help him uncover something that will change his life forever, but a misunderstanding between them rocks him to the core. When he finally uncovers the secret, he must learn to put his past aside and try and move on with a future willed with hope and dreams.

Life’s Turned Upside Down is the third book in Anne Stone’s Show Me series.

Angelina Samuels has lost the only job she’s ever held. A last minute interview lands her a new teaching job just days before the school year is about to begin. It turns out to be the best thing that could have happened when she realizes that her best friend from college, Gabriella Alvarez, is also a member of the teaching staff.

Gabriella’s brother, Alejandro, relocates to his hometown after having lived away from family and friends since he left for college to become a renowned transplant surgeon. He’s settling into a new job, reacquainting himself with family and friends, and is learning to deal ever-so-slowly with the personal loss that forever changed his life.

When Angelina’s sister experiences a health crisis, Alejandro is there to support her and her family. And when Angelina herself experiences a personal tragedy, Alejandro is the only one to guide her through it. As love stares down at them, can Angelina help Alejandro take that second chance on love and marriage?

Kelly Samuels is dedicated to her career and has received several promotions in her short tenure at Lattice Works. Kelly’s family is shocked when she returns home unemployed and without an explanation.

Alec Alvarez, a pediatrician from a family full of doctors, is focused solely on his career. He’s declared his bachelor status for life and has no desire for love, marriage, or babies. When Alec finds Kelly stuck on the side of a snowy road, neither of them are prepared for the feelings they begin to have for one another.

As Kelly and Alec grow closer, he wants to know why the once happy-go-lucky Kelly is hesitant to his touch, while Kelly just wants to find purpose to her life again. After Kelly tells two conflicting stories as to why she lost her job, Alec steps in to discover what truly happened. Can Kelly come to terms with what happened to her and move on with her life? And can Alec love enough to give-up his bachelorhood status for good?

Life’s Gateway to Happiness is the second book in Anne Stone’s The Show Me series.

Anne Stone was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri but now lives in the cold state of Wisconsin with her faithful Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She writes heartfelt sweet contemporary romance and is the author of the Show Me and Williams & Company series. She loves to tell a story and that’s what you’ll definitely get in an Anne Stone novel.

Anne’s degree is in education but she has worked in the corporate sector managing a large number of staff. Now, she works from home where part of her day is still spent in the corporate world and the other part is dreaming of her heroes and heroines.

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Forced to apply for a job he doesn't want, Cosmo Rawlins has only one aim in mind: fail the interview and get back to making music. But his attempt to shock the sexy, sharp-suited Alasdair Grant has a very different result.

Instead of getting thrown out of the office for flaunting an interest in BDSM, Cosmo finds himself on his knees, apologizing to the most dominant man he's ever met.

Alasdair has more important things on his mind than training a novice sub, especially a rebellious bad boy like Cosmo. But there's something beneath the youngsterís bratty attitude that fascinates him.

As Alasdair takes Cosmo in hand-and for a wild ride on his Harley-he becomes obsessed with bending the young rocker to his will, both in and out of bed. But while Cosmo might enjoy the kink, he's not up for becoming Alasdair's household slave.

Warning: This title contains an overbearing Top with a less than glamorous job, a rebellious brat who refuses to call him sir, and a total lack of high-end BDSM clubs or playrooms. Expect floggings over the kitchen table instead. Written in Joís usual exceedingly "English" English.

NB. This book is a re-release.

Excerpt

Cosmo crossed his ankle over his knee and began humming. It wasn’t deliberately to annoy the blonde chick behind the reception desk. No, he’d had this tune buzzing around in his head ever since waking, but what with having to come along to this interview for a piece-of-sh*t job, he hadn’t had a chance to get it down yet. That was why he couldn’t hold down regular employment, see? It wasn’t laziness or stupidity, no matter what his old teachers might have said. Nah, he was just one of those creative types. He’d told that to Irene—she was his advisor at the Jobcentre. He’d told her he was looking for jobs that would utilize his musical skills. She’d said, “In High Wycombe? Dream on, Cosmo,” and told him he had to put down a wider range of acceptable jobs or she’d bloody well do it for him.

In the end, she had started to arrange interviews for him, which explained why he was sitting here, waiting to be interrogated about his suitability as a “sanitary disposal operative”—in other words, the poor sod who had to go around emptying bins in ladies’ toilets.

F*ck that.

The skinny bloke who’d gone in before him loped out of the shuttered office and hightailed it across the lobby to freedom. Cosmo sighed and popped a stick of gum into his mouth. Fresh breath, see? It looked like he was making an effort so he’d get brownie points, but chewing gum during an interview was guaranteed to piss off pretty much every manager out there. As was asking how many cigarette breaks you got per hour.

“Mr. Rawlins?” the blonde chick called. “Mr. Grant will see you now.”

Cosmo stood and smoothed down his black drainpipe trousers. He even had a well-ironed shirt and tie on. Thing was, he’d discovered that on him, the smart clothes and grade-two haircut made him look less like a good little worker and more like a thug. He’d probably get a job as a bouncer if that was what he was going for—not that he had the intimidating build or anything, but he looked well hard, what with the couple of scars on his chin and the one across his eyebrow from fighting off angry closet cases, plus he could do a mean stare if he felt the need.

But he had other tricks up his sleeve too. Quite literally. Cosmo massaged his sore wrists and headed on into the boss man’s office, giving Blondie a huge grin on the way. She smiled back, all coy-like. Barking up the wrong tree there, love.

Mr. Grant, on the other hand… There was a tree he wouldn’t mind barking up. Or climbing up, more like. He was huge and had to be old enough to be his dad, which wasn’t actually all that old, seeing as how his dad was only fifteen when he got his fourteen-year-old excuse for a mother up the duff. But this wasn’t some fat old geezer with white hair bristling out of his nostrils. Mr. Grant wasn’t big like that. He was built like a bricklayer, all broad chest and shoulders bunched with powerful muscles. It was obvious, even with his body covered up by the fancy suit, he spent time down the gym.

“Cosmo Rawlins,” the boss-man said, holding out a huge hand, which swallowed up Cosmo’s in a warm and firm handshake. What a grip. Cosmo had all kinds of naughty thoughts about where else he’d like to feel a hand like that and wondered whether getting a boner in the interview would be something this Mr. Grant would report back to Irene. Best not take the chance. “I’m Alasdair Grant. Please take a seat.”

Usually these things were done across a desk, but Mr. Grant didn’t seem to need the prop to boost his ego and had a load of comfy chairs arranged around a giant coffee table at one end of his office. The man was clearly doing all right for himself. Cosmo could have fit the entire ground floor of his shared house in there and still had room to swing a cat in. Not that he believed in cruelty to animals or anything.

“Nice place you’ve got here,” Cosmo said as he settled into the chair indicated.

“Thanks. It’s taken me a decade to build this company up, but we’re now the largest sanitary services operation in the South East.”

Cosmo tried not to look too impressed, but it was bloody difficult not to when faced with the sight of Alasdair Grant seated across from him, like a stern George Clooney with that handsome face, cropped salt-and-pepper hair and designer stubble so thick it was bordering on beard territory. He had these sharp grey eyes fixed on Cosmo. It was unnerving, sitting there with the bloke looking at him like that.

Was Boss-man checking him out? Yes, definitely, but Cosmo was buggered if he could tell if it was purely a professional assessment or if there was a more salacious interest lurking in his gaze. Alasdair Grant didn’t have a wedding band, but Cosmo wasn’t going to read too much into that.

“So, Cosmo, has your advisor at the Jobcentre let you know exactly what the job entails?”

“Emptying rag bins in the ladies’ lavs, as I understand it.”

Boss-man gave this pained smile and leaned forward a little. Sh*t, it felt like he was looming over Cosmo, despite him being the other side of the coffee table. “That’s certainly an element of the work, but it’s a more responsible position than that. We provide a full replenishment service for all disposables, like paper towels and hand soap. We also empty and top-up the vending machines, so there’s a cash-handling element. You’d be in charge of one of our vehicles and acting as a frontline representative of Sanco Solutions at all times.”

Cosmo tuned out the words Boss-man was saying and just enjoyed the sound of his voice. There was this deep bass rumble to it that made him think those lungs must be huge, but that was overlaid with a melodic timbre not all that many speakers had, and there was a smooth, easy rhythm to his speech. Sh*t, he could listen to him for hours. Cosmo found himself tapping his foot and drumming his fingers along with his words. Gave him ideas for inserting a rap in the middle of the new song. Some UK Garage or Grime stylings, maybe. Would that work? The rest of the band would hate it. Rizzo especially, which made it doubly appealing.

“Mr. Rawlins. Am I boring you?”

That made him snap his head up. “What?”

“You looked like you were lost in music.” Boss-man stared pointedly down at his fingers.

“Oh, that. Sorry, it’s just habit. I’m a musician, see, and I can’t help it. I find inspiration everywhere.” Actually, this was good. Playing the flaky-musician card put off most employers, but he didn’t normally get a chance to until the bit at the end when they asked him if he had any questions.

“A musician? What do you play?”

“Guitar, and I sing too. I’m in a band. ScarDue, we’re called.” How much longer he’d be a member, he didn’t know. They were currently experiencing a bout of creative conflict. In other words, the rest of them were content playing cover versions of alt-metal hits in local pubs, whereas he wanted to experiment with crossing genres, come up with a completely original set and go places.

“Should I have heard of you?” he asked.

“I doubt it. Not unless you make a habit of hanging out down the White Horse on open-mic night.”

“Can’t say I do. The White Horse… Is that still a bikers’ pub?”

“Kind of. More emo and goth kids these days, but there’s a few bikers still hanging around. Freddie’s mates.”

“Freddie Henderson? Is he still the landlord?”

“Yeah, you know him?” Cosmo couldn’t imagine the two of them moving in the same social circles. For a start, Freddie had a shaved head, handlebar moustache, and the rest of his body was pretty much covered in tattoos and black leather. Alasdair Grant, on the other hand, was corporate establishment through and through.

Boss-man got this weird expression on his face. Fond? Yeah, it was that, but there was something more. Something kind of hot, like he was remembering sexy good times.

Author Bio

English through and through, Josephine Myles is addicted to tea and busy cultivating a reputation for eccentricity. She writes gay erotica and romance, but finds the erotica keeps cuddling up to the romance, and the romance keeps corrupting the erotica. Jo blames her rebellious muse but he never listens to her anyway, no matter how much she threatens him with a big stick. She's beginning to suspect he enjoys it.

Jo's novel Stuff won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Bisexual Romance, and her novella Merry Gentlemen won the 2014 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Romantic Comedy. She loves to be busy, and is currently having fun trying to work out how she is going to fit in her love of writing, dressmaking and attending cabaret shows in fabulous clothing around the demands of a preteen with special needs and an incessantly curious toddler.

About the Book

Blurb

Robin of Locksley is a rebel, more comfortable roaming Sherwood Forest with his longbow and courting the village girls than learning how to run a manor.An innocent flirtation with a peasant girl soon lands Robin in trouble, and worse, he finds himself inexplicably attracted to Will Scathelock, his best friend since childhood. Robin must decide whether to follow the rules of society or his own conscience.Meanwhile, his neighbour, Guy of Gisborne, is anxious to get his hands on the Locksley estate and he will do anything to make it happen - even murder.

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Any decent author of historical fiction has to do a lot of research before undertaking their novel. That is, if they care anything about accuracy. The debate of accuracy versus a good story is an ongoing subject and one I will happily discuss at another time, but now I’d like to focus on the research itself. It wasn’t all trawling through any reference books I could find and websites on the Internet, though that was certainly fun. For me, the best part of researching my series was when I got to visit Robin Hood country, or, Nottingham Castle and Sherwood Forest.

The term Nottingham Castle is perhaps a bit misleading. The once grand fortress that was begun by William the Conqueror in 1068 is no longer standing. It once stood on a promontory known as Castle rock, from which it was possible to gain a spectacular view of the town and surrounding countryside. However, what now stands on the site is a large house. It seems mainly to be used to exhibit various art and some weaponry, although there is a small Robin Hood exhibition there. Nottingham is still very much Robin Hood’s home though, and there are tours carried out in the town as well as an official Robin Hood. Although the original versions of the legend certainly aren’t set in Nottingham, it’s the place most people associate with Robin—that and of course Sherwood Forest. Again, Sherwood was not Robin’s original home, but the two have become so inexplicably linked, it’s hard to think of one without the other.

If my visit to Nottingham Castle was somewhat disappointing, my visit to Sherwood, which I made later the same day, more than made up for it. Firstly the visitor centre, where I had the dubious experience of being put in the stocks. As a pastime, it’s not something I would recommend, but it was certainly enlightening when it came to writing. For those of you who haven’t sat in the stocks, your arms are trapped within two circular holes of wood, while another rests on the back of your neck, keeping you in the same position so that you are unable to move. All you’re aware of is weight pressing down on you. You can’t move your head at all, meaning it would be impossible to avoid any missiles some mischievous urchin might choose to throw at you. I was in the stocks for maybe half a minute and that was enough for one lifetime. How people managed when they were trapped in the stocks for a day or more is beyond me.

Then there was Sherwood itself. The Robin Hood legend describes it as being virtually on Nottingham town’s doorstep. Robin Hood has only to ride through the town gates and melt away into the trees, leaving the sheriff and his soldiers casting about in vain for him. I myself have also fallen guilty to this exaggeration. Sherwood is in fact a short drive away, I think about forty minutes if memory serves. Since I was a passenger rather than the driver, I don’t accurately remember.

Once in the Forest, it’s like stepping into another world. Silence presses in around you. There are several paths and trails you can walk, and with every step you expect the famous outlaw himself to swing down from a tree and demand the contents of your purse, or perhaps to hear the distant winding of a hunting horn. It certainly worked on my imagination and I went home full of inspiration.

The highlight, however, was visiting the Major Oak. The tree has had many titles in the Robin Hood story: the Major Oak and the trysting tree to name but two. It’s a massive tree surrounded by fencing in order to protect it from the general public. It’s gnarled an ancient-looking, and it doesn’t take much imagination to picture Robin and his men grouped round it for some clandestine meeting. I’m only sorry now that I have no pictures of the oak to remember it by.

Another highlight of my research was visiting Warwick Castle. Though the Castle has nothing whatsoever to do with the story of Robin Hood, it has plenty of stories from its own past to fascinate any visitor. For me though, the highlight of the day was when I was able to hold a longbow. It’s surprising how heavy they actually are for someone not used to them. It takes years of practice to become proficient with a longbow, which was why boys were encouraged to start as young as possible, usually from the age of seven. From the longbow’s extremely kind owner, I learned a good deal about accuracy and range, though fortunately for everyone in my vicinity, I made no attempt to shoot the bow myself.

Since I am endlessly doing research in order to improve my stories, I hope to have many more experiences such as this. The memory of Sherwood Forest in particular will stay with me forever. I only travelled one of its mysterious pathways. I hope one day I shall return and follow the rest. Sherwood is no longer the mighty forest it used to be. Where once Robin Hood might have travelled thirty miles without breaking cover, now he would be lucky to manage three. However, the magic of the place still lives on, as does the legend of Robin Hood.

About N.B. Dixon

Author Bio

N.B. Dixon is an author of historical fiction. Her love for the Robin Hood legend began in a neglected corner of the school library and has continued ever since. She is a self-confessed bookworm and also a musician.She began work on the *Outlaw's Legacy* Series in 2013, and was accepted by Beaten Track Publishing in 2016. *Outlaw's Legacy* is a historical series based around the Robin Hood legend. The author describes it as Exciting Historical Adventure with GLBT romance.

Connect with N.B.

Giveaway!

Three lucky winners will receive an e-copy of Heir of Locksley, the first in the Outlaw's Legacy series by N.B. Dixon, a highly original retelling of the Robin Hood legend. To be in with a chance, simply enter via the Rafflecopter below. The contest closes at midnight EST on May 6 and is open to entrants worldwide.

Friday, April 28, 2017

When a brutal attack from a jealous competitor leaves Noah Strauss, darling of the modeling world, physically scarred and emotionally damaged, he quits the runway to become a psychologist. Using his contacts from his time in the spotlight, he creates One Call Away, a radio show dedicated to gay men looking for love, advice or someone to talk to. But with secrets of his own and a mother who refuses to understand the career path he's chosen, the one person Noah can't seem to help is himself.

On a drunken dare from the senior partner's grandson, Oren Leavitt calls Noah’s radio show, pretending to be gay. Only Oren isn't certain if he's pretending. He's left his strict Orthodox Jewish upbringing behind, but the guilt remains. Guilt that his actions have prevented his sister from finding a husband and guilt that he's failed his parents. Talking to "Dr. Noah" helps, and as he finds himself calling the man again and again, he knows he must be honest. But Oren is unsure if he's lying to Noah or himself.

For Noah, trust is paramount; he's been deceived in his personal and professional life and while he desperately wants to help Oren, he also finds himself falling for the sweet and tortured man. Oren is trapped: he risks losing his job and more importantly the love and security of his family but knows he can't hide if if wants to be with Noah. When unresolved heartaches from the past rise up to control the present, Noah and Oren discover that love often comes from the most unexpected places, and sometimes a call for help not only saves a life, it can be a new and beautiful beginning.

A bit angsty, a bit sweet, a bit hot, and with the always superior writing and storytelling I’ve come to expect from Felice Stevens…that’s what you’ll find when you open up One Call Away. Oh, and let’s not forget Oren and Noah, the two amazing main characters with whom I completely fell in love.

Noah is an incredibly kind and giving man, always wanting to help others but still hiding away on the personal side thanks to a horrible attack he endured years ago. He now needs to relearn how to love and accept himself as he is now so he can truly move on with his life. Oren grew up in a very strict Orthodox Jewish household, but just couldn’t continue that level of religiosity for his entire life. He loves his family and is always concerned he’s going to let them down because he left home and didn’t want to continue to live such a devoted religious life. The moment his boss eggs him on to call in to Noah’s radio show as a joke is the moment that Oren truly starts a new journey of self discovery.

Noah and Oren’s relationship develops slowly and naturally, with both men helping each other on their individual journeys. There’s a lot of emotion on both sides, and it intensifies everything between them…and when they finally get to the point where they give themselves to each other totally, it’s powerful and passionate—not to mention sensual and scorching hot!

The angst and drama is present on several fronts, from Oren not being out to anyone to his uncomfortable and actually downright hostile work environment to the strain of him coming out to his family, then also Noah’s pain over his scars to his resentment of his mother’s attitude toward his prior modeling career and his last lover’s betrayal. All of this plus Noah and Oren’s blossoming relationship—which is sweet and tender yet oh-so-hot—means that emotions are running high for the majority of the story, which had me not wanting to put this book down for any reason.

One Call Away was a fantastic story and gets 5 stars from me. I highly recommend this to any M/M romance fan, though readers should be 18+ for the adult language and explicit M/M sexual content.

Author Bio

I have always been a romantic at heart. I believe that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner, my characters have to work for it, however. Like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love.

I live in New York City with my husband and two children and hopefully soon a cat of my own. My day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. I practice law but daydream of a time when I can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there is bound to be a few bumps along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.

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